Vacuum cleaner assembly



Jan. 29, 1957 c. E. MEYERHOEFER 2,779,432

VACUUM CLEANER ASSEMBLY Filed May '7, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet l Jan- 29,71957 c. E. MEYERHOEFER 2,779,432

VACUUM CLEANER ASSEMBLY Filed May 7, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 r MMINVENTOR. ar/ Myerae/'fr BY am. mbv M m f7 TTRNEYS Jam 29, 1957 c. E.MEYERHol-:FER 2,779,432

VACUM CLEANER ASSEMBLY Filed May '7, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORfagffgffff/f@ ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1957 c. EL MEYr-:RHOEFER VACUUM CLEANERASSEMBLY Filed may 'A7, 195s 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 NEN MNM

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Jan. 29, 1957 c. EMEYERHOEFER VACUUM CLEANER'ASSEMBLY 8 Sheets-Sheet 5Filed May 7, 1953 IN VEN TOR.

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Jan. 29, 1957 c. E. MEYERHQEFER V2,779,432 VACUUM CLEANER AssxanvnsmlFiled May 7, 1955 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 1N V EN Y JR. (hr/ Mega/iwf Jam 29,1957 c. E. MEYERHOEFER VACUUM CLEANER ASSEMBLY 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 FiledMay '7, 1953 /17 TORNYS 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed May 7, 1953 INVENTOR dg YMeyefyfer ATTO R N EYS VACUUM CLEANER ASSEMBLY tassignments, `to.LewytCorporatiom Brooklyn, N. Y.,

a corporation `of New York ApplicationMay '7.,'11953, Serial No. 353,472

`7 Claims. `(Cl.,183137) LThis invention relatesto a structurally andfunctionally improved vacuum cleaner assembly especially intendedfor:domestic use.

lt is an object ofthe inventionto furnish an apparatus of this characterin which a maximum` amount of .dirt .and other material will `be pickedupbythe incoming air and in which an extremely effective air-.cleaningor filtering action willbe present so that substantially all dust andother foreign materials `entrained Within thewincoming air will befiltered out before that air is discharged from the apparatus. Moreover,the apparatus ywill be very quiet in operation, will embody a lowcenterof gravity Vsuch that it will be almost` incapable of beingaccidentally `turned over and will support a contained ltering .unit orbag in amanner such that it will he readily accessible for renewal. p

y A further object is that of incorporating in the assembly a contro-l`structure `by means of which the degree of suction exerted throughthecleaning nozzle or tool maybe regulated withY nicety. Therefore, the`apparatus may be e'iciently employed in connection with surfacesrequiring a maximum flow -ofair as well as instanceslsuch as lightdraperies) where a restrained air flow should `occurrsuch that thematerial will `not be frozen `in contact with `the nozzle or actuallydrawn into that no-zzle.

A still further object `is that of providing a vacuum `Cleaner' assembly`which will ordinarily be used to create a condition of suction for`purposes of cleaning the surfaces of walls, tables, iioors, etc., aswell as removing dirt embedded within the bodies `of rugs and even belowthe same. Additionally, by the present teachings, an apparatus isfurnished lwhich `will eflicientlysupply air under pressure. Such `air`being in maximum volume, `spraying and blowing operations ofineffective nature may readily be resorted to.

4Another object is that `of furnishing an improvedstructure by means ofwhich it will `be feasible for an operator to move around `thesuction-producing apparatus without having to rotate or twistthatapparatusupon the `floor or other supporting surface; this beingavoided `by the use of a highly effective `swiveling structure, which,in operation, will in no way interfere with the efficient functioning ofthe apparatus.

:Still anotherobject `is that of conveniently providing a caddy orsupporting structure as part of the assembly and which in use, willmount the suction-producing'mechanism. Under` these circumstances, theaforementioned swivelling action is inoperative in that the caddy willmovably support the mechanism for desired shifting in any properdirection. Additionally, by the present teachings, -the caddy willembody within its assembly an eX- tremely desirable form of electricalconnection and cable control :whereby the suction-producing apparatusmaybe coupledto a conveniently `disposed electrical outlet.

.'lhepresent apparatus contemplates relatively few parts, each ruggedand simple in design, such parts being capable of .ready manufacture.and assembly .by quantity `production methods and when so assembled,providing a mecha- Cil . ture for the apparatus.

Patented Jan. 29,1957

2 nism functioning over' long periods of time with freedom from alldifliculties.` y

Withrthese and other objects in mind, reference ishad to `the attachedsheetsof drawings, illustrating ,practical .embodiments of the invention`and inwhich:

Fig. l is asectionalside view of the assembly; Fig. lA is an enlargedfragmentary view of certain of the parts;

lFig..2 is a sectionalwplan view thereof taken alongliue LZ-Z in thedirection of the arrows as indicated int-Fig. `1;

Fig. `3 is afragmentary plan view of` that portion of the cover assemblywhich mounts theiby-pass control;

Fig. 4 is anupper similar fragmentary face view `ofra side Yportionof`the outer `casing or shell of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a sectionalelevation showingin detail the Ystructure of oneform ofV gasket which preferably provides .a part ofthe assembly;

Fig. 6 is` a `fragmentary sectional View of the bottom `portion of the`.assembly and showing -a `structure different from thatillustrated in`Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a sectionalrside view of a caddy structureuwhich preferablyforms a `partfof the assembly;

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view taken along theline `in `the 4directionof the arrows `as indicated in Pig. 7;

Fig. -9ris a fragmentary sectional plan viewtaken along `.the-line9-9inthedirection `of the arrows as :indicated in'Fig. 10;

Fig. 10 is a sectional side view in enlarged scale showing in detailcertain of the parts illustrated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 vis an enlarged transverse sectional view taken along the line11-11 fin the `direction of ,the arrows :pas indicated in Fig. 7;

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a form of assembly involving analternative disposition of the current-supplying lead.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 13-.13 inthe direction of the arrows as indicated in Fig. 12;

Fig. lllis a view similar to Fig. l2 but showing a still further form ofstructure;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary sectional View taken along the line 15--15 in`the direction of thearrows as indicated in Fig. 114;

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. l5 but showing another form ofreceiving structure;

Fig. 17 is a view similarto Figs. 12 and 14 but illus- .trating anadditional arrangement of the apparatus;

Fig. 1S illustrates a still further structure involving thelead-receiving portion of the assembly; and

Fig. 19 is a plan view through the assembly as'shown-in Fig. l, with thefiltering bag removed from the trough.

Primarily referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 20 identifies the lowerportion of the yassembly which is preferably in the form ofa tub orcannister. This, together withpthe upper portion 2l, provides a. mainshell or enclosing struc- The upper portion 21 isrclosed by a cover 46above and to which a member 22 is secured. This cover may be hingedlyconnected as at 23 by aiitting to the outer face` of upper `portion 2landwhich fitting `mates with a hingev part of member 22. A handlel24,;is included in member 22. The cover is normallymaintained in aposition at which it closes the `uppersportion 2l. `of the shellfhyconveniently providing arlat'ch structure associated with these `parts.`This structuremay include,` as in Fig. 4 an actuator 25 on a shaft 26.'The latter is rotatably mounted `adjacent the upper-.edgenof section 2land extends beyond a facing plate `25 secured to the upper section. Thisshaftalso mounts withinthe body `of 'the cleaner, arkeeperor latchelement 27,::the lower end of `whichrextends belowgsha'ft 2,-6vandhasrsecured to it one end ofarspring. .Thefllllplilcriduof latch element 27may present a striking or cam surface 29 for engagement with a pin 30carried by member 22 and cover 46. This pin, in cooperation with thekeeper or retaining portion of the latch will assure that the cover isnormally maintained in a position at which it closes the upper face ofsection 2i. A

n Within the upper portion 21, a trough or pan-shaped part 30 issuitably supported. The base and side walls of this trough may becorrugated as indicated at 31. The end walls of this unit are-conveniently uncorrugated and the one adjacent the latch 27 is formedwith an opening. In line with this opening, the outer shell of theapparatus is formed with a corresponding opening within which there ismounted a collar 32 which may form a part of facing plate The collardefines a bore and retaining structure to, for example, receive the endfitting of a hose eX- tension (not shown) and to prevent accidentaldetachment of that extension. Extending inwardly from the opening formedin the end wall of trough is a fitting 33 which may terminate in adeecto-r portion 34. These parts Serve to mount the collar 35 of a bagformed of airporous paper or other suitable material and the dimensionsof which are such that it may be disposed within trough or pan 39. Whilethe defiector portion 34 has been shown in Fig. 1 as extendingdownwardly, it may, of course, eX- tend in any desired direction todivert the incoming air against any elected face of the bag which issecured to the collar 35.

Supported to move with cover 46 is a filter disk. This will preferablybe in the form of a mat or layer of cloth 36. Disposed adjacent theupper face of this disk is a layer 37 of perforated metal. As shownespecially in Fig. 1A, a tab 33 may be secured to mat 36 and the edge ofthe latter preferably passes around the periphery of layer 37. In thismanner, these parts are retained as a unit; the edge or layer 36conveniently terminating in a cord bead. This assembly extends into thegroove formed in the inner of a mounting ring 39 of rubber, or othersuitable material, which has an outwardly extending ange or lip bearingagainst the inturnetl edge of cover 46 to normally retain the parts.However, by exerting a pull on tab 33, units 36 and 3'1" may be detachedfrom ring 39, after which they may again be reniounted.

Thus, with the cover clef o., the filter assembly will lie ad toont theupper edge of trough or i9 To assure o.: rcper s between tl o parts, apr rably ern odios the illustrated, this i o. p a body it? of ninggroove or defines the base or inner air chamber 43 ex ts 'ned by areduced or n air entra ocd within chanber 43, it is pparent thatpressure agaiint any of the outer portion 44 will cause chair. er to heenlarged at other points` Therefore, this gasket .vill conform toadjacent uneven surfaces to establish an effective seal without it beingnecessary to resort to tine tolerances or to employ any undue clampingpressure to eifect this result. As shown especially in Fig. 1, one ofthese gaskets is mounted by the upper edge portion of trough 30. A`second gasket is mounted by the edge of upper section 21. This lattergasket cooperates with the edge of the cover. In line with the base ofthe fitting for the hinge 23 both the shell 21 and the trough 30 may beindented and secured in face-to-face contact as at 45.

The cover 46 may include a metal plate secured, for example, by bolts 47to member 22. rPhis plate provides an air-impervious structure when thecover is in lowered position incident to its engaging the outer gasket4@ which conforms to its peripheral edge portion as the cover is loweredand thus establishes la proper seal. At a point preferably remote fromthe handle, plate 46 is formed with an opening 48. Through this opening,air may pass to the interior of the assembly and which has not enteredthe same through the collar 32.

siot til. A tran.,y

of the latter.

In order to control the flow of such air, a valve is employed. Thestructure embraced in this Valve and its control is best shown in Fig. 3taken in conjunction with Fig. 1. In those views, the numeral 49indicates a dial which may present on its outer face indicia including,for example, the legen-ds of Cotton carpets, Wool carpets and Drapes andupholstery, as indicated at 50. This dial is positioned above the outerfaces of member 22 and cover 46. The member may provide a well portion51 to receive its lower edge. The dial or knob is supported upon a shaft52 having rotatable bearing in an opening formed in plate 46 at a pointadjacent opening 48. A valve 53 is secured to shaft 52 to turn with thesame and a spring 54 may bear against this valve to assure a firmfrictional contact between the latter and the depressed upper surface ofplate 46 within which opening 48 is provided. The legends on the dial 49are so correlated to valve 53 that when these legends are aligned withan indicating mark 55, the valve will either completely close orobstruct opening 48, will increasingly clear that opening or will becompletely beyond the latter so as not to obstruct in any manner airflow therethrough. As shown particularly in l. the well portion 51 isspaced from the adjacent edges of dial 49 so that air may freely passaround these edges below the dial and through opening/4S when the latteris partially or completely unobsrtucted. By .tg the by-pass opening 48in advance of the upper face of the filter dish assembly 36-37, thatstructure causes a filtering action on the incoming air.

The base of upper portion or section 2l is inturned as at Within thisintnrned area, pedestal portions are provided which abut against similarparts formed integrally with the onse of trough These pedestal portionshave been indicated by the numeral. "7.' and securing elements areprovided to pri-,vent any displacement; of the trough with respect tothe inturned portion 56, Similar asteir ing' elements are convenieatiyutilized to secure the upper ends of straps or brackets 59 to theinturned portion 56. These straps as in Fig. 2, may he integral and eachcomprise a Uehape body with the bodies of different straps intersectingin their c'minon base zones and the iegs of the stt ing each spacedappro imately 90. The central atea of portion 56 i cut ay to furnish anopening within which supporting ring titi is disposed by ha ing itsflange 6i ex "nd into the groove of a mounting ring Th: ring is formedof rubber and is overlapped by tie inner edge of portion S6. l" issupported upon instruck shoulder' portions o3 eonven :.-"ly formingparte of the arms or strap" it downwardly extending arms which are t ,ato the casing of a blower unit which, in turn, supports a motor c.sing66. The motor within that casing serves to operate the blower unit.

The lower end ol" ino-tor ing (i6 terminates a preferably dat facewhich, a nd 7 bears against a iayer tl'" conveniently formed of spongerubber and acting as a shock absorber mounting. This layer may, in turn,be supported upon and secured to a mounting hub 68. That hub extendsthrough a centrally located opening in the base of tub 2t) and providesthe common central portion of the spider of which arms 59 form parts asin Fig. 2. The tub base is dished inwardly and within the area of thisrecess is formed with a radial series of ribs 69 shown in Fig. 1. Aretaining ring or plate 70 is afixed to the lower face of the hubportion and overlaps the base of the tub so as to prevent an axialseparation of these parts, although permitting of a rotation of thelatter with respect to each other. A lip or rib 71 extends outwardlyfrom the base portion of the brackets or arms 59 and bears `against theribs 69 in order to furnish an antiafriction structure while at the sametime adequately supporting the parts. A. layer 72 of fiber glass orsimilar material is supported upon the upper faces of arms 59. Thecylindrical brush holders 73 of the motor bear against the upper surfaceof layer 72.

A ring 74 is secured to the inner face of tub 20 at a point above itsbase and slidably supports a collar 75 of filtering material which againmay be fiber glass. That unit extends from the inner face of the tubthrough to the outer face of the blower wheel casing 65. Beyond thispoint and intermediate tub 20 and upper shell portion 21, is an annularseries of outwardly extending flanges or ribs 76 between which outletports are defined as in Fig. 2. It is to be noted that the upper end ofone of the arms 59 is continued as at 77 to provide a support for anelectrical plug '73. The opposite upper arm p0rtion 59 has an extension79 furnishing a mounting for a switch 80 as well as the operating partsof the same.

These parts include a spring-pressed actuating portion 81 which forms apart of the conventional assembly of this type of unit. Additionally, aspring 82 may encircle this portion and bear against the underface of atreadle 83 projecting beyond the side face of the assembly. That treadlebears against the upper end of actuator 81 and terminates in fulcrumportions 84. The latter rotatably engage the surfaces of a portion ofthe extension 79. Gasket 62 overlies this recess. Accordingly, when thatgasket is in position, the inner end of the treadle is confined againstdisplacement.

Now with a view to providing a structure controlling the flow of airthrough the ports defined by ribs 76 and as shown in Fig. 2, a band 85of flexible metal has one of its ends secured as at 86 to the inner faceof the outer shell adjacent the Wall 87 of the same which defines therecess into which the inner end of the treadle 83 extends. This bandlies adjacent the inner ends of the ribs or vanes 76 and between theseand the ring assembly 6ft- 61 which forms a barrier between the airentering the blower casing 65 and the air flowing towards the annularseries of ports. Supporting portions 87 underlie band 85 and prevent itsdownward displacement. A part 8S of plug 78 underlying band 85 furtherprevents its downward displacement, while upward movement is preventedby inturned portion 56. That end of the band which is opposite the onesecured by the rivet 86 or otherwise, is movably attached to the innerend of a lever 89 pivotally supported as at 90 upon extension 79. Thesupport 90 may comprise a pin which extends through an opening intreadle 83 and is encircled by a spring 91 which on the one end bearsagainst extension 79 while, on the other end, it bears against the innerface of lever 89. It is apparent that when this lever is in the positionshown in Fig. 2, band 85 is, in effect, constricted so that it isshifted away from the inner ends of ribs or vanes 76. When the lever isswung to an opposite position, the ring or band 85 is expanded so as tobear against the surfaces defining the ports between the vanes and thusprevent an escape of air through the same. To maintain lever 89 in oneof these two extreme positions, a flat spring 92 may be secured in aposition at which the inner end of the lever bears against it, in itsmovements through a central zone. Therefore, the lever will bemaintained in one of its two extreme positions. By providing pin 90 andspring 91, lever 89 is, in effect, given a floating support such that itmay be depressed without distorting or otherwise damaging the parts.Under those circumstances, its inner end will rock with respect to theattached end of band 85.

Normally, and with the assembly acting as a suction apparatus, band 85will be in the position shown in Fig. 2. Thus, air discharged throughand above filter collar 75 will freely escape through the ports definedbetween ribs 76. Below this ring or body, the tub 20 is formed with anopening normally closed by a plug or cap 93. The latter is permanentlyconnected to the tub by means of a hinge extension 94. When intub-sealing position, plug 93 extends into the bore of a collar 95. Thelatter `correspondsto collar 32 and is provided with detent andretaining portions as shown in association with the former unit. Bymeans of these, the hose extension (not shown) may be coupled to projectthrough the collar bore and thus establish communication with theinterior of `the apparatus.

Considering the operation of the `apparatus so fardescribed, it will beassumed that the several components have been assembled and that anelectric supply lead socket has been connected with the terminals withinplug 78. It will be realized that leads extend from the plug through tothe motor and switch is interposed in at least one of these leads. Asshown in Fig. 1, collar will be sealed by cap 93. Also, cover 22 will bein closed position and the collar 35 of a bag will have been applied tofitting 33. As afore brought out, nozzle or deflector 34 may extendeither in the direction shown in this gure, at an angle to either side,or be modified in design as desired. However, it should ordinarly notdeflect incoming air upwardly. Under the conditions outlined, the innerend of a hose, or hose extension will be disposed within collar 32 andshifted to a position where it will remain associated with that collarwith substantially all entering air passing through the bore of the hoseor other accessory. Switch 80 will be of that type in which oneretraction of its actuator 81 closes the circuit through the same and asubsequent retraction and release of the actuator, opens that circuit.Therefore, with treadle 83 having been operated by being rockeddownwardly, it will be assumed that the circuit through the switch hasclosed and accordingly, themotor within casing 66 is functioning.

Under these circumstances, dust-laden air will pass through the neck 35of the bag and into the interior of the latter. That bag being formed ofltering material such as air-porous paper, it follows that vthe air, inescaping from its interior and passing through its side walls, will besubjected to a filtering action. Not alone will the end wall adjacentthe neck or collar be subjected to the passage of air and which air alsopasses through the upper face of the bag, but also the side and bottomfaces of the bag will have air flowing through them. This is because ofthe corrugations or equivalent parts 31 which are employed to prevent afreezing of the bag in contact with the base and side walls of trough30'. That wall of the trough adjacent which the base portion of the bagis disposed may also be modified if desired so that air channels such ascorrugations 31 are furnished through which air may be drawn. In anyevent, the filtered air will pass upwardly from trough 30 through thoseareas of filtering mat 36 and plate 37 which are adjacent and defined bythe upper edge of trough 30. Therefore, the

air flowing from the bag will pass above the disk filter into the spacebetween the upper face of thesame and i the inner face of plate 46.

It is to be remembered in this connection that despite inequalities ofsurfaces, resulting in their extending to one side or the other of agiven plane, an `effective seal is provided by the gaskets 40 whichconform to the inequalities of the surfaces and sealingly contact themas the parts are brought to operative positions. Thus, all air inflowing from the trough` 30 will pass into the space below the cover 46,portions of the trough 30 being spaced inwardly from the casing toprovide communication between the spaces above the filter cloth 36 andthe space between the trough 30' and the casing 21. A second filteringaction has occurred as the air flowed through the mat 36. It will nowreverse its course and move downwardly within the shell 21 and mainly toeach side of trough 30"as in Fig. 19, thus flowing overthe outersurfaces of the latter and within the space defined by shell 21. In soflowing, the air will, of course, again pass through the mat and throughthe openings of plate 37. Incident to its passage through the formerelement, a third filtering action will have occurred.

The air will flow inwardly over the surface of flange or inwardlyextending portion 56.V It is confined to this path offtravelncident-tothe partition'structure'fin which is@included'itheiring'assembly andthegasket62.I ThereL fore, all air will flow toward the blowerdisposedwithin' housing 65. Accordingly, it will escapefromA theportsinthe lower face of this housingfand'will flow withhigh velocitytowardsthe'layer- 72. Anyparticles of foreign material Istill entrainedlwithinfthe-air will impinge against the'surface of layer 72 and beretainedthereby. Therefore,. a fourth material-retaining factor existsat this point. The air will reverse its course between thev arms or.legs 59 and ow'upwardly through ring 75 and escape between theribs'orvanesv76. Due to the fact thatlasubstantially annular seriesy ofthelatter are present, theye'locity of the escaping air will be diminishedto a fractionof its former speed Therefore,. the noise of this air flowwilll not be perceptible. Also, prior to its passingV through the ports,it will have-flowed at low velocity through'ring 751where a-fth ltei-ingaction will havetoccurred and further noise suppression will also haveresulted.

lnthe case of wool carpets and other relatively heavy bodies ofmaterial, in which it isdesired to remove dirt embedded below thesurface, the full air flow produced by the.. actuation of the motorblower unit should pass through collar 32. Therefore, dial 49 should,under these circumstances, be adjusted to a position where the valve53-completely obstructs opening 48. With such obstruction, air flow willoccur: in the manner desired. In the case of drapes and upholstery, alesser velocity of owsV should occur. Therefore, again by adjusting theindicia dial 4-9 with relation to the registering mark 55, valve 53 isshifted to a point where it does not obstruct opening 48. Under thesecircumstances, a certain amount of' air will How past dial 49 andthrough opening 48 directly into the space between plate 46 andthe mat-36. This will be because the incoming air will tend to follow the pathof least resistance and accordingly will flow at lesser velocity throughan operating tool, the attached' hose, the body of th ltztring bag rndupwardly through the mat 36. A certn am^"nt cf air will by-pass this as-;:mbly and simply m^ve downwardly through the mat towards the mctcrblrwer unit. This will be clean air which dees not require filtering andaccording to its volume of flow, the airstream through the hose will bediminished. T he degree of suction exerted by the tool adjacent theouter end of the hose or otherwise attached to collar 32, will bereduced and drapes, upholstery, light fabrics and other bodies beingcleaned will not freeze in Contact with the nozzle nor tend to be drawninto the latter. With dial 49 adjusted to a point where its indicia` 50(designating, for` example, cotton carpets) is in line with registration55', valve 53 will be; partially to one side of opening 43 so thattheopening is only partly obstructed. Therefore, only a limited amountof air willy be by-passed through opening 48 but at the same time, thesuction exerted through collar 32 will be diminished to a pointatwhichthe mouth ofthe nozzle attached to the outer end of the hose does nottend to have its. edges immovably sealt against the rug or other unitwhich is being cleaned.

During the foregoing operations, tub 20 will of course have been restingupon a supporting surface such as a door. It may have been substantiallycentrally disposed thereon. In any event, the operator will have movedthe hose or other coupling secured to. collar 32 around the axis of theassembly. That portion 21 of the cleaner which is directly connected tothe hose will have swiveled ing surface. adjacent its periphery. Thebearing sur-` faces provided between the. inner face. of the. tub,r lips71 and4 hub portion 68 are relativelyt reduced. and are substantiallyadjacent the point of pivoting or the axis.

of. the assembly. Therefore, if a rotational force is exerted againstItheupper section or sh'ellportion 21 of that assembly, the latter willturn, carrying with it the inwardly extending'portion 56, the vanes 76,the arms 59 and the motor blower assemblyk carried by` the spiderembracing these arms. Also, ring 75 will be rotated within tub 20.Obviously, the rotationalforce will be created incidenttothe'traversing'of the inner hose end or= the extension'of the samethrough an arc. This end portion being disposed within collar 32 andsubstantially immovable with respect to the same, will cause the uppershell portion to oscillate.

If after operating for al certain period of'time, it' is desired toinspect the dust-containingbag, this may readily be done bysimplyswinging actuator to release pin 38 from keeper 27. Thereupon, by meansof handle 24,

cover 22 may be raised and lifted clear of the trough. With suchraising, it will carry with it mat 36and perforated plate 37. The bag istherefore exposed. Accordingly, the operator mayflightly press againstthe ex`- terior of the bag to ascertain how much dust and` otherforeign-materials it contains. If it is substantially full, by simplymoving collar 35 inwardly, it may be detached' from fitting 33.Thereupon, a new bag may be'substitutedV by dropping the body of thelatter into trough and sliding its collar over the fitting to have africtional engagement therewith. Under subsequent operation vof theapparatus, the iniushing air will serve to expand the Now the matl maybecleaned or an entirely new matandplate assembly may be disposed inposition. Insofar as layer 72`is concerned, this will remain efectivethroughout the entire life of the apparatus. of ring 75.

. When it is desired to use the apparatus for blowing-y purposes,thenthe hose extension is disconnected from collar` 32. That collarisleft unobstructed. It is immaterial what position dial 49 is left in.Cap 93 is swung to uncover collar 95. The hose extension is thereuponapplied to the latter. In order` to discharge all air through collar 95and the hose attachedthereto, it is necessary to obstruct the portsbetween the vanesor ribs 76. To

achieve this-result, lever 89? is swung from the position shown' in Fig.2 to its opposite extreme position. Under such'circumstances, it movesin a counterclockwise direction and. carries with its inner end theattached end of band 85. The latter in effect expands and as lever` 89Vswings, spring 92 is exed so as to act as a detent to prevent anaccidental return movement of the. lever. With the expansion of band theinner ends of the ports are sealed. This sealing will be rendered evenmore effective incident to the fact that. a pressure or plenuml chamberexists at points beyond the discharge end of the blower and up to theinner face of' band S5. This pressure will? cause the band tobearagainst the surfaces defining the rear zones of the ports. Therefore,air may not escape through them. Consequently, allair will have to passthrough collar 95 and accordinglyahose.attached to the latter willreceive andconduct all air movedby the blower. Care should, of course,be exercised so that when the apparatus again functions asa vacuumcleaner, the ports are unobstructed as in Fig. 2 and cap 93 is in place.However, should the ports-7,6l be leftV obstructed and the plug 93inserted, the latter will be expelled from collar 95,- due to aVbuild-up of air pressure. On the other hand; should the... plug 9,3be-left detached' and the unitbe operated asa vacuumcleanenair;athighvelocity will be discharged' from. opening 9.5,. Sinceno. sound mufing o ccursnnder these conditions, the. ensuing noise willserve to alertv the operator'to, correct thecondition.

The same effect may be achieved by the structure- The same is true shownin Fig. 6 in which the numeral 96 indicates the bottom shell or tub ofthe assembly which mounts a cover plate 97 carrying a scaling member 98acting to normally prevent passage of air through an opening formed inthe side Wall of the tub. t When cover 97 is elevated, then hoseextension 99 may be inserted through this opening. The motor blower unit100 is supported within a shell 101 preferably formed of sheet metal andbeyond which is arranged a ring 102 of liltering material correspondingin function to ring 7S. This shell is formed with an opening 103 alignedwith the opening in tub 96. The latter opening is defined by a collar104 which corresponds to collars 32 and 9S as aforedescribed. As shown,shell 101 has lip portions 105 which bear against the base of the tub towhich it is rotatably secured by means of a grommet 106 defining apivot.

In this form of apparatus, when it is desired to perform a blowingoperation, then cover 97 is swung to the raised position therebyexposing collar 104. The hose extension 99 is inserted through the boreof the collar` to a point where it extends into the opening 103 of shell101. All air discharged from that shell passes through this opening.Therefore, with the opening plugged by l extension 99, all air movingfrom the blower will pass through the extension. The swiveling action ofthe parts will occur around the pivot defined by the grommet orequivalent securing element 106. It will, of course, be necessary toalign opening 103 with the bore of collar 104 in order to insertextension 99. When the latter is removed and cover 97 closed, all airwill flow upwardly through ring 102 to the annular series of dischargeports corresponding to ports defined by ribs or vanes 76 as aforetraversed.

As heretofore described, the cleaner `assembly may be employed as asingle unit or apparatus in conjunction with the necessary accessoriessuch as a hose, wand sections, nozzles, brushes, spraying attachments,etc. So employed, its upper portion with which the suction inlet isassociated may swivel with respect to its lower portion. This enables anoperator to move without difficulty to one part or another of a roomwith freedom from having to turn the entire apparatus on the supportingsurface, otherwise, the assembly may be mounted upon a dolly or caddywhich forms a part of the mechanism and which is substantially freelymovable over a floor or other supporting surface so that with minimumeffort and without conscious manipulation, an operator may shift themechanism from one to another desired location as cleaning operationsprogress. structure which has heretofore permitted a swivelling of theupper portion of the mechanism may be locked against movement so as toprevent such movement. Therefore, the present inventioncontemplates aspart of the dolly and general assembly a structure to automaticallyprovide for the desired result. p

Reference is primarily had to Figs. 7 and 8 in this connection and inwhich numeral 107 indicates the body or carriage of the caddy which isformed in its upper face with a recessed or Well portion 106` having adiameter such that it may receive the base of tub or cannister 20.Extending upwardly from this well and adjacent the center of the sameare a pair of spaced ribs 109. The latter receive between them anon-circular lower portion 110 of the hub 68. Therefore, with thatpartof the hub disposed between them, the spider portion including arms 59will no longer be capable of being freely rotated with respect tocarriage 107. As shown especially in Fig. 7, the hub is formed with athreaded bore. Attached to the underface of well portion 108 is aretaining and mounting member 111 having a bore which aligns with thethreaded bore of the hub when the latter has its extended portion 110disposed between the ribs 109. Projecting into this bore is the shank ofa headed retaining member 112 which has its outer end screw threaded asat 113; these threads corresponding to those of the hub bore. Adjacentthe lower or outer end of the bore Under these circumstances, the`forming a part of the mounting member, threads 113. may be formed toprevent the accidental displacement of member 112. The latter maybeformed with a head groove or slot so that it will vbe capable of beingreadily turned. In any event, when itis projected into the bore of thehub 68 to engage the threads of the same and is turned to a point wherethe hub is drawn inwardly and tightened, it is apparent that it willprevent a detachment of the hub and all of the parts of the assembly.Additionally, the drawing of the hub toward the base of well 10S willcause increased frictional contact between arms 59 and the base of tubor cannister 20. This will prevent a swiveling action between that partand the upper portion of the assembly. Drawing the parts into the wellportion will, of course, preclude any turning of the tub with respect tothe carriage 107.`

That carriage, as in Fig. 8, may be provided with a pair ofnon-dirigible casters 114 adjacent one of its ends. A pair of dirigiblecasters 115 are swivelly connected to its underface adjacent theopposite end thereof. The carriage may be formed with sockets oropenings 116 capable of receiving the stems of tools or wand sections(not shown) so that these parts will be readily available. As indicatedin Fig. 7, a socket member 117 is provided which may be connected withthe prongs contained within plug 78. A current-supplying lead 118extends upwardly from the caddy and is connected with socket 117. Acoupling plug 119 is connected to one end of a lead 120 extendingthrough the side face of carriage 107. That leadin a manner hereinafterbrought outis electrically connected with lead 118. A bumper strip 121may be applied to the outer edge of the carriage. Finally, it will benoted that as in` Fig. 7, carriage 107 may mount a bottom plate 121 toprovide a compartment between the upper face of the latter and the innerface of well` portion 108.

Within this well portion, a reel is disposed. That reel.

includes a pair of spaced plates 122; the central portions of which mayextend in contact and be secured against relative movement by fasteningbolts 123. The outer edges of the plates are conveniently flared asindicated at 124. The spacing between these plates is just suicient toaccommodate the diameter of lead 120. That lead `after extending throughthe opening in carriage 107 may pass through a guide 125 mounted by thecarriage and aligned with the space between the reel plates. A coilspring 126 is housed within a hub extension 127 of the upper plate andhas one of its ends secured to that plate; its opposite end beingsecured to mounting member 111. Spring 126 `is disposed and tensioned ina manner such thatit tends to rotate the reel and wind convolutions oflead 120 thereon to a point where plug 119 is disposed immediatelyadjacent the side flange of carriage 107 as shown in Fig. 7. Spring 126will be relatively weak so that practically no perceptible force will benecessary in causing lead 120 to be extended by simply exerting a pullon plug 119.

To establish proper electrical connection between the inner ends ofleads 118 and 120 and as in Figs. 9 and 10, the inner contact portions128 of the latter may be connected to terminals 129 forming 'parts ofcontact rings 130. These rings are suitably secured to a dielectric disk131 mounted within the well portion 132 of the lower plate 122. Brushes133 engage one with each of rings and are connected to the terminal endsof leads 118. These brushes are conveniently supported upon a dielectricblock 134 mounted on plate 121. Thus, a conductive path is providedbetween the contacts of plug 117, the wires of lead 118, brushes 133,rings 130 and the wires of lead 120. Accordingly, plug` 119 may beconnected to, forexample, a wall socket and with socket 117 applied toplug 78, the motor within the casing 66 will be subject to energizationmerely by lclosing switch 80.

Now with a view to controlling the rewinding action exerted by spring126 upon the cord reel, a brake shoe 135 as in Fig. 8V is providedwhich` engages the peripheral portions 1'24V of the reel plates. Thisshoe or element is cam shaped and it is tobe assumed as in the figurelast mentioned that a counterclockwise rotation of. the reel results inan unwinding of leadf12il. Element 135 is supported upon a slide 136mounted between guiding walls 137 affixed to the carriage. The spacingbetween the slide and these Walls is such that the former is capable ofslight oscillation. A relatively strong spring 138 has one of its endssecured to an extension of the left-hand wall 137 as viewed in Fig. 8,and a relatively weak spring 139 has its corresponding end secured to anextending portion forming a part of thev second wall 137. These springsare connected to a rearward extension 140 forming a part of slide 136. Apivot around which the slide may oscillateV within the limits deined, isprovided by the tapered portion 141 of a stem 142 (see Fig. 1l) whichhas a treadle or contacting part 143 associated with its upper end. Aspring 144 encircles the lower reduced end of this pin and normallyurges the same into elevated position.

It is thus apparent that when the reel is rotated infa counterclockwisedirection as in Fig. 8, the cam-shaped brake element 135 will rock in aclockwise direction around flared portion 141 which will deline thepivot for the assembly. So rocking, it will not resist or prevent therotationof the reel. However, should this rotation of the reel beinterrupted, then under the slightest clockwise rotation of the same,element 135' will swing in a counterclockwise direction and similarlymove its slide 136. That slide is projected by springs 138 and 139 to'assure contact between the brake element andthe periphery. of the reel.powerful spring, it follows that extension 140 will be biased aroundpart 141 as a pivot to assure a swinging of the brake element 135 andslide 136 in a counterclockwise direction. Due to the cam edge surfaceof the brake element the reel will accordingly be locked from clockwiserotation.

However, should an operator desire to release the reel for suchrotation, all that has to bedone is to exert pressure on operatingpart143. This will cause stern 142 together with tapered part 141 to moveinwardly as in Fig. ll. Tapered portion 141 will provide a cam ridingwithin the opening furnished in slide 136 to retract that slide or moveit away from the reel. The instant that'brake element 13S is out ofengagement with the reel surface spring 126 will be free to turn thatreel in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 8. Therefore, the partswill move in this manner andl lead or cord 120 will be disposed upon thereel up to a point where plug 119 may be positioned adjacent the ange ofcarriage 107.

ln the event that the apparatus is nevertheless used independently of acaddyy structure and it is desired to provide a receiving and retainingportion for an electric cable, then structures of the type shown inFigs. l2 to 18 inclusive may be employed. As in Figs. 12 and 13, thelead or cable 145 may have its inner end directly connected with theswitch of the apparatus or may mount a socket for detachable connectionwith a plug mounted by and coupled to the assembly. In any event, thisouter end should preferably support and be connected with 'a plug 146.Upon the outer face of the shell or casing and preferably in associationwith the upper end of the latter, is a retaining structure generailyincluding a ring of plastic` or rubber composition as indicatedat 147.rthis ring may present on its outer face partitions 14S' arranged in theform of convolutions andhaving their outer ends beaded to provide detentor retaining portions. The recesses thus furnished should have diameterssubstantiallyequalto the diameter of lead 145. Therefore, the latter maybe disposed between the par- Also, spring 138, being the morel titions148 in a form such as a spiral and the beaded portions will prevent anaccidental displacement ofthe lead. At the same time, that cable mayreadily be un- Wound from supporting relationship with respect to theshell.

As in Figs. i4, 15 and 16, `a trough portion may be provided as part ofthe assembly to receive the lead. As shown in the first two of thesefigures, the shell may be recessedas at 149 and an outer ring or plate150 is disposed in spaced relationship to this recessed portion in amanner such that lead 151 may have its convolutions disposed therein.Again in Fig. 16, a trough member has its body portion 152 anchoredagainst movement with respect to the casing and presents opposed sidewalls 153 separated by flexible lip portions 154 to receive therebetweenthe lead 155. In both of these structures, the easing may be rotatablysupported as at 156 upon a stationary base 157 and be provided with aridge or projections 158 which have bearing contact with the base 15?.ln both'of these structures by means of thel handle of the apparatus orOtherwise, the casing may be rotated. While so rotating the lead 151 or155 may be fed into ythe trough or channel portion which receives it. 1twill be retained therein against all probability of accidentaldisplacement. In the form of structure shown in Fig. 17, lead 159'isconnected to the switch and has its outer end extending through the baseportion of the shell and terminating in a plug 160. Its body is disposedaroundthe innershell or spider 161. The upper part ofthis casingywillrotate with respect to the tub or base portion in the manner heretoforedescribed in connec tion with Fig. l. So rotating, it will wind lead 159onto part 161. A` lower disk or plate 162 may be secured to thisparttoprevent a displacement of the cable.

Where only limited turning of the upper portion ofv the casing is tooccur with respect to the base tub, the structure suggested in Fig. 18may be employed. In that case, lead portion 164 will connect with theswitch and extend within the shell of spider 163. lt will project'into areel-part 166 in the form of convolutions and anchoring clamps 165 maybe employed. The outer end of the lead 167 will extend through the shelland connect to the wall outlet.

Thus, among others, the several objects of the invention'as specificallyaforenoted are achieved. It will be understood that numerous changes inconstruction and rearrangement of the parts might be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. 1n a Vacuum cleaner in combination, a casing comprising upper andlower sections, means providing a rotatable connection between saidsections whereby the upper is movably supported upon the lower, a baseportion closing the lower section, a cover movably mounted upon theupper section for sealing the latter, said upper section being formedwith an inlet opening in its side wall, an air-guiding and bag-mountingfitting secured to said, upper casing section and extending inwardly ofthe same in line with said opening, a bag including a single body of airporous material providing a complete enclosure and having an openingencircling said fitting, said bag extending transversely across saidupper casing section with its axis horizontally disposed, an inwardlyextending supporting portion at the lower end of said upper section andbelow said bag, a motor-blower unit suspended against rotation from andbelow said supporting portion, the thus supported unit having its axis,extending in a `Jertical plane intersecting such bagwith.

the blower of the unit disposed above the motor. thereof andsaid casingbeing'formed with an outlet opening for the discharge of airmoved bysaid unit.

2. In a vacuum ,cleaner as specied .in claim 1, the rotatable connectionbetween said. upper and lower seca.

tions comprising a support extending from said supporting portionadjacent said unit and towards said base por tion and a movable couplingbetween the lower end of said support and said base portion.

3. In a vacuum cleaner in combination a vertically extending casingwall, a base portion closing the lower end of said casing, a movablecover sealing the upper casing end, said casing being formed with aninlet opening in its vertical side wall adjacent its upper end, anairguiding and bag-mounting fitting secured to said casing and extendinginwardly of the same in line with said opening, a bag including a singlebody of air porous material providing a complete enclosure and having anopening encircling said fitting, a trough presenting an upper edgeextending substantially in the same plane as the upper casing edge andVsupported by said casing, said bag being disposed within said trough,means whereby contact between said trough and bag is limited to parts ofadjacent faces of said elements, a sheet of filtering material, meansfor detachably securing said sheet to move with said cover, said coverin closed position causing said sheet to engage the trough edge, thearea of said sheet being such as to extend beyond the trough edgetowards the inner face of the casing whereby air llowing from said bagwill pass upwardly through said sheet and outwardly into line with thespace between said trough and casing and thence downwardly through thepassage dened between such trough and casing, a

motor-blower unit mounted by said casing below said trough and saidcasing being formed with an outlet opening at a point beyond said unit.

4. In a vacuum cleaner in combination a vertically extending casingwall, a base portion closing the lower end of said casing, a movablecover sealing the upper casing end, said casing being formed with aninlet opening in its vertical side wall adjacent its upper end, a bag including a single body of air-porous material providing a completeenclosure and having an opening connected to said inlet opening, saidbag extending transversely across said casing, an inwardly extendingsupporting portion intermediate the ends of said casing wall and belowsaid bag, a motor-blower unit, means for suspending said unit from andbelow said supporting portion, said casing being formed with an outletopening for the discharge of air moved by said unit, said cover beingformed with an air by-pass opening, a valve movably carried by saidcover to control the eiective area of said opening and manually operablemeans solely controlling the position of such valve irrespective of thevolume of air flow through said by-pass opening.

5. In a vacuum cleaner in combination, an outer casing formed with aninlet opening, a lter within said casing through which air flowing intosaid opening is caused to pass, a motor-blower unit within said casingto cause such air flow, said casing being formed with a plurality ofradial openings through which the filtered air is dischargeable, aexible band disposed adjacent the radial openings of said casing andspaced from the face of the latter whereby air is free to ow from theinterior of said casing through said openings into the outer atmosphereand shiftable means mounted by said casing and connected to said bandfor changing the effective diameter of the latter to cause said band tomove into intimate contact with said casing and seal the radial openingsthereof against air flow.

6. In a vacuum cleaner as specified in claim 5, means for mounting saidband within said casing, means for securing one end of said band tosai-d casing in line with said radial openings and said shiftable meanscomprising a lever connected to the opposite end of said band for movingthe latter away from the first-named band end to thereby expand theeffective diameter of said band to seal the inner ends of said openings.

7. In a vacum cleaner as specified in. claim 5, said casing being formedwith a further opening disposed intermediate said unit and said radialopenings and means for normally sealing said further opening.

References Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,106,231Marshall Aug. 4, 1914 1,880,665 Barker Oct. 4, 1932 2,231,326 Dow et al.Feb. ll, 1941 2,276,844 Holm-Hansen Mar. 17, 1942 2,439,182 Nutfer etal. Apr. 6, 1948 2,503,568 Timm Apr. 1l, 1950 2,532,933 Nuler Dec. 5,1950 2,582,219 Ardito et al. Jau. 15, 1952 2,594,456 Kroenlein Apr. 29,1952 2,621,756 Senne Dec. 16, 1952 2,656,009 Kent Oct. 20, 19532,661,074 Gerber Dec. 1, 1953 2,672,949 Hage Mar. 23, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 53,312 Austria Apr. 25, 1912 153,721 Austria July 11, 1938718,049 France Oct. 27, 1931

